Imaginary Friend

AN: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait! I've got lots more coming, I'll try to get more regular with the updates. ^_^; So, enjoy! Oh, and I know a lot of you are slowly dying from my cliff-hanger-esque endings, but those are going to keep happening, cause...Well, cause the chapters are short, so I gotta keep you hooked!



Jacob sat there, completely flabbergasted, and completely naked.

Except for the tie.

His skin sticky from release and his chest stinging from where Abel had clutched at him so. Then...gone.

Abel had been...torn away from him.

Right? Isn't that what happened? He wasn't sure. Now there was nothing. Only oppressive silence and empty air.

The only thing he could hear was the occasional rumble of a passing car, or voices from the street down below through his open bedroom window. But that made him feel all the more alone. Those people out there meant nothing. All he had was nothing.

Another sound filled the room. His rapidly quickening breaths.

He was going into shock. Hyperventilating. His lungs filling up faster than they could expel and the oxygen making him dizzy.

Was that it? Was that all he got? He was back to being alone now? What had happened?!

Then something crashed to the floor in front of him, and he jumped from the abrupt wet thudding sound that lump produced. The room was too dark, only lit by the hallway light and reflecting in his mirror and the pictures on his walls, giving the room an eerie glow. Whatever was suddenly huddling on his bedroom floor shined darkly in that dim light.

Jacob held his breath, not even daring to hope.

Cautiously, he approached it, blinking his eyes to clear them in case he was imagining things.

A body.

An unmoving body. Definitely male, and definitely naked. And wet. Wet with what, though? That strange male wasn't moving, not even breathing, it seemed. Was it a threat?

Jacob stepped closer, bending down one hand slowly, and running a stray finger over a particularly slick patch of skin. Bringing it back up to his face to inspect it, Jacob could see it was dark. Dark and thick and...strange. He knew he'd felt it somewhere before. But where? What did it remind him off?

There wasn't enough light in his room to see clearly, so he held it closer to his face.

He was hit with the sharp smell of copper, then he knew, he knew, what it was. Blood.

Frozen, he couldn't move. Except to begin breathing hard again and feeling his eyes widening more than they should. A man covered in blood lay on his floor,, sprawled over his shoes. That couldn't have been too comfortable. But...why was there blood? Was the man hurt?

He rushed back, his protective instincts kicking in, and knelt by the body, rolling it over to expose the face. Unrecognizable. Jacob had never seen him before. But there was something familiar about him...

On a whim, Jacob closed his eyes and thrust his hands out, connecting to wet skin and seeing with his hands instead of his eyes. Over forehead and nose and down cheeks to lips.

Abel!

Then Jacob began to cry all over again, hard and loud, his chest heaving as his breath thundered out of him and his arms tightening around Abel's newly visible form. He didn't even know if his lover was still alive, for surely the blood was his, but he couldn't bring himself to feel more than elation at the moment. The sheer unimaginable joy of his phantom's weight back in his arms. He let his fingers rove over the other's flesh, kneading and poking and grabbing anything he could.

When he felt the phantom's chest moving against his, he knew then that Abel was still alive. His eyes sprang open and he stared down at that face, taking in all the features his sight was until now denied.

Then he noticed as he dragged his palms over that red-stained skin, that every fingertip of pressure had that weary face wincing. Almost as if Jacob's touch was...hurting him. Quickly he whipped his hand back, aware that he was still unconsciously squeezing the rest of Abel. But his hold didn't loosen. It couldn't. He couldn't let go.

Watching that face in rapt attention, Jacob saw those eyelids spasm, then they opened ever so slightly, only to be followed by more painful wincing as they slammed back shut. It hadn't been enough for Jacob to get a good look at those eyes, but he imagined them to be brown.

Not a clue as too why, but Jacob had always had a weakness for brown eyes.

Without thinking, he suddenly wrapped both arms around Abel's body, hugging tighter than he should, but unable to keep from pressing hard into that form.

Then Abel shrieked. And he wouldn't stop. He just continued to wail and wail and wail, and Jacob didn't know if he'd somehow broken the bloody male.

Pushing him away but not letting go, Jacob checked up and down that body, not seeing any new marks or wounds, but that visibly unfamiliar face was contorted in anguish, mouth open as that voice rang out in sad torture.

“Stop!” Jacob shouted, beginning to panic again. Had he done something wrong?

Abel convulsed, his whole body tensing and shaking wildly, almost out of Jacob's grip, but he fought to keep hold. Maybe his voice had scared Abel? Been too loud?

Softer now, but still breaking with sobs, he tried again. “Please stop...Please...I don't know what to do...”

That bloodied body in his arms stilled suddenly, face going blank. A complete lack of emotion.

“J...Ja...cob...” Came a raspy pained whisper, confusion seeping thick into it.

There was the slightest almost-imperceptible twitch of those lips.

A frown.

“Lies...”

Jacob dipped his head down, feeling so excited that he wanted to throw up. But instead he just whispered back. “What?”

“Lies...Not Jacob...” Abel gasped into his ear, beginning to struggle weakly. “Lies...”

“But,” Jacob shook his head. “I'm not saying anything. And I wouldn't lie to you. Abel...” He began ecstatically, happy tears dripping down his already soaked cheeks, letting his fingers curl over wet shoulders. “You're visible now. I can see you.”

“You're not...” Abel frowned deeper, eyes still clenched shut and trying harder to push away. “...not my Jacob!”

The sound of his lover's voice, so different from just a few minutes ago when he'd whispered that he'd loved him, had Jacob crying harder still, tightening his arms and burying his face against that blood covered chest. He didn't care if he got blood on himself. It was Abel's blood anyway. And it didn't bother him. “But I am Jacob. It's me, I'm him. I'm here, and you're here, and I can't-”

Abel began hitting him, slapping at him feebly. “Let me go, demon!” He spoke with more strength now. “I won't be deceived by you! I won't fall for this madness!”

“No!” Jacob cried, hugging tighter. “I'm Jacob! I'm Jacob! I'm-!” But his voice cut off, his joy rapidly spiraling down. There was something wrong with his lover. Something...sad.

Perhaps Abel had gone insane. Perhaps something had happened to his mind in the process of becoming visible. Jacob didn't know. He couldn't.

True, on his end, Abel had only been gone for a few heart-pounding seconds. Maybe even a whole minute, but no more than that. But...What could have possibly happened to make Abel covered in blood? When he'd been in Jacob's arms before becoming visible, his body had been dry. Not even sweat covering his warm skin.

So, maybe something tremendous had happened. Something to make him scared and afraid and in pain.

Ever so gently, Jacob hooked his arms under Abel's shaking knees and neck, standing and lifting his rapidly strengthening body, carrying him out of his bedroom. “Shh, Abel...” He whispered, as softly as he could. “I don't know what happened to you, or why you suddenly think I'm not Jacob. Because I am, I am Jacob, and I love you, and I will protect you with my whole being. Don't be afraid, don't think I'll hurt you, I love you. Abel. It's me.” And on like that, until they reached the bathroom.

Without changing his hold, he used a finger to flip on the bathroom light. As soon as that bright white lit the room, Abel gasped and shook harder, a hand flying up to cover his closed eyes. His whimpering increased and he struggled anew.

Jacob realized that for whatever reason, Abel's vision was extremely sensitive. He was most likely blind at the moment, and with the bright white florescent bulbs, he was probably in pain. Quickly, he shut off the light, returning the room to almost blackness. Except for the slight glow from the streetlights outside, everything was dark.

But Jacob could see still the same. He knew his bathroom. He didn't really need the light. Stepping up to the tub, he debated briefly on how to turn on the water without dropping the heaving form of Abel.

Then he lifted one leg and turned the knob with his foot. The sounds of falling splashing water filled the room and Abel whined again, face twisting unhappily.

But there was nothing to be done about the sound, regardless of whether or not it was hurting Abel's ears, so Jacob just held him, rocking him carefully in his arms and impatiently waiting for the tub to fill.

Once it was full, he kicked at the knob again, shutting it off and leaving the room suddenly quiet except for the soft gentle sound of lapping water. With his bare foot, he tested the water, deeming it safe and not a bad temperature, then he carefully knelt, lowering Abel to the water and depositing him into the tub.

“Ah!” Abel shrieked, coming to life immediately and splashing water over the sides with his sudden stuttering movements. “It's-! Ah!”

“What's wrong?!” Jacob questioned worriedly, trying to see the new cause of distress. “Is it too hot?!” He put a hand in the water, making sure he hadn't judged the temperature wrong, but...the water was lukewarm. Tepid, at best. Barely warm enough to melt ice quickly. “Abel, what's wrong? It feels fine to me.”

But Abel still thrashed, acting as if the water were cutting into his skin. “It's...It feels...I don't...it's different!”

Abel's eyes had been sensitive to light, and his ears seemed sensitive to sound, so logically, maybe his skin was sensitive to touch? That would explain the sudden thrashing.

But there was nothing to be done about it. Jacob couldn't fix this, but he could help, maybe. His hands he returned to Abel's flinching skin, stroking down his sides lightly and trying his best to calm his lover.

“Abel...Please....Calm down...It's alright....Everything's going to be alright.”

Unfocused eyes suddenly slit open and swiveled to meet his own, and Jacob had been right. They were brown. He took a moment to study his lover. Before there had been touch, and Abel had felt very attractive, all hard muscle under soft smooth skin, symmetrical planes and sloping curves.

But now, there was vision too.

Abel was beautiful. Long shaggy dark hair and pale skin, in contrast to the darkness of his eyes. And full lips colored like pale roses. Jacob wished to kiss him. But, he felt it too soon. What if that hurt too? He didn't want to risk it.

Instead, he gazed back into those wavering eyes, trying to convey himself back to reassure Abel of his identity.

One shaking hand quested upwards, coming to rest unsteadily against his cheek. The blood was mostly rinsed from it, but it was still tinted pink. The surrounding bath water was completely red. Everything from the waist down was rinsed, leaving a blood-covered chest and arms. Abel's face was streaked too. And some was matted in his hair.

But that hand on Jacob's cheek was warm and soft, cautiously touching him, like before. Jacob smiled, and covered those wet fingers with his own hand. “Abel...”

Then Abel's face softened again, eyes filling with tears. “Jacob? You?”

“Yes,” He murmured back. “Me.”

TO BE CONTINUED